HSM 3: Senior Year
by Philemon
Summary: Things definitely changed after working at Lava Springs. Troy vows to never let someone else decide who he wants to be. SLASH. CHRED brand new couple & TRYAN! Rating has changed. Abandonned
1. Chap 1: La Vie du Journalier

AN:I've had this plot bunny invading my head for about a week now. I knew that if I didn't sit and write it out, I would surely go insane.

This is SLASH! I know more people enjoy these than don't but this is fair warning. Don't care to hear about hunky men making love like rutting pigs, then you may leave. I realize that I just made the rest of you hate me all the more because I can't guarantee regular updates.

D/C:**I do not own anything. Seriously, I don't even own this computer. Obviously, I do not have the rights to HSM or any other references that may be – or may not be – thrown into the plot. I do claim artistic license to the names of canonical unnamed characters. I do not do this for money, but I am a struggling college student. So, if you would like to wire me a couple hundred(-thousand) dollars, e-mail me and I'll give you my bank's routing number. But, no one needs to know about that wink, wink. **

AN (2):The characters of Eddie Matthews and Chris Lucas are in fact canonical. Eddie is the spiky-haired skater dude that constantly dances with Gabriella in "We're all in this Together" and Chris is the skater with the gray corduroy hat.

Please enjoy. I hate it when authors beg for reviews, but it's the only way that I know someone's reading it. I don't care if you flame me, it just means that you read it and secretly want to come out of the closet.

HSM – SY HSM – SY

High School Musical III: Senior Year

By: Edward Lee Joseph Michael Jude Thaddeus Smith-Sheehy-McMurrich

Penname: Philemon (Halliwell) & Eddie Matthews

E-Mail: Year – Chapter 1: le Journalier

_One night and one more time  
Thanks for the memories  
even though they weren't so great  
"He tastes like you only sweeter"  
One night, yeah, and one more time  
Thanks for the memories, thanks for the memories  
"He, he tastes like you only sweeter"_

Been looking forward to the future  
But my eyesight is going bad  
And this crystal ball  
It's always cloudy except for  
When you look into the past (look into the past)  
One night stand (one night stand off)

Troy Bolton rolled over, groaning all the while, to silence the alarm on his cell phone. It was now 2:30 AM and he needed to get up now if he were to finish on time. He resumed his position on his bed, lying on his back. He was actually awake, so he threw the sheets off and that's when he first noticed IT. IT was currently poking through the fly of his boxers and he sighed in defeat. He clamored out of bed, and his "lil' Buddy" led him to his bathroom like a divining rod.

He quickly turned on the sink, filled his glass and moistened his toothbrush. He was amazed how instantaneously he could be guilted into changing his personal habits.

_**FLASHBACK**_

It was opening night of "Twinkle Town(e)" and Troy had just arrived backstage to get ready. That's when he overheard the conversation.

"I know, and I agree. But you know how I'm attracted to peoples' mouths. His teeth, they're unnaturally white. You can tell that he bleaches them and if someone needs to bleach their teeth, they don't have good oral hygiene. If they don't care enough about their mouth, how can they care more for any other part of their body?"

Troy instantaneously knew that his secret crush of the last four-and-a-half years was not only correctly opinionated but also that the twin spoke of him to the other striking blonde.

_**END FLASHBACK**_

He ran a comb through his hair and then placed the paste-laden plastic instrument into his mouth and commenced with his once daily ritual. _If you only knew, babe. _He spat the offending chemicals into the sink and thoroughly rinsed his mouth of the rancid tasting concoction.

He then went to the hamper, still led by IT, and He grabbed the tee-shirt and gym shorts of which he wore last night and put them back on. He offended himself by the odors emanating from the impromptu game of one-on-one with Chad last night. Now clothed, he proceeded downstairs and went to the kitchen.

Suddenly, he chuckled. He remembered what his father had said in Health class yesterday, "_Humans are not inclined to be creatures of habit._" And yet, here's Troy, doing the exact same routine as he had everyday since his job ended at Lava Springs six weeks ago.

He went to warm some milk on the stove and added a ¼ cup of sugar to it and waited for the liquid bovine by-product to steam. He then quickly placed it into a coffee mug and added a teaspoon of instant coffee and stirred until it reached a nice mocha color. He took a sip, and per ritual, voiced "Café Olay!" aloud. He finished the mug and debated on having another, before realizing that he'd finished the milk. So he rinsed the mug and placed it on the counter with an index card reading "Tee-Roy" atop of it. His parents now knew that he intends to save this and use it again at breakfast.

Troy carefully crossed the living room carpet and carefully opened the front door. At 3 AM exactly his newspapers arrived. He took them from the delivery person and placed roughly one-third into the bed of his brand-new used pickup. A smile graced his lips when his dad gave him the 1963 Chevy that Jack Bolton himself drove throughout his senior year at East High. It had been a gift for getting the promotion at the country club last summer. Troy took the rest of the newspapers and placed then into his overgrown messenger bag. He grabbed the bag of rubber bands that he kept in the cab of his so affectionately named Wildcat and started down the road. He delivered to almost every house and while walking between the porches, he folded and banded the other papers with the lightning speed that could only come from a ¼ cup of sugar diluted into six ounces of milk. He went around the corner and delivered to the block behind his parents' home. As he made his way back home, he had finally folded all of the papers. So he grabbed the other satchel that was given to him by the Albuquerque Gazette and started with the unfolded papers.

He started down the side street from whence he came, yet in the other direction. He delivered the thirty nine papers that he had taken within record time, only 13 minutes. With his bag now empty, he jogged home and grabbed the final amount from the bed and dragged his bicycle through the tailgate. After mounting the fitness machine, he put the delivery garment back on his shoulders and proceeded back to work.

What most people don't realize is that much like the remainder of New Mexico, the rich neighborhoods often were surrounded by lesser-income housing before reaching a business district. Troy lived in this part of the neighborhood. Not that it's the projects or anything just upper-middle class compared to the insanely wealthy.

And you don't get wealthier west of the Mississippi than Rupert and Marybeth Evans. Troy found that taking his bicycle to deliver their paper, along with the lesser-wealthy customers saved him 45 minutes every morning. So, per usual, Troy was buzzed into the "Evans' Compound" as Chad and Zeke like to call it and Troy sped to the front door after picking up the papers left by the state news agency. He was amazed at the subscriptions held by the Evans Family.

There was Broadway Today and the Screen Actors' Guild News for Sharpay, New Age Yoga for Mrs. Evans, the Wall Street Journal and Financial Times of London for Mr. Evans, and then there was always the Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and the St Louis Post-Dispatch that most of Troy's customers received subscriptions to at least one of. He wasn't sure who it was that read them, but the Golden Boy figured it was merely a status symbol type of a thing. Troy struggled against the incline of the Evans' driveway which he finally found out was 1/3 mile from door to street and being a circle-drive, was quite a workout.

As he was leaving, Troy noticed Ryan by the smallest of the Evans' pools doing his morning Tai-Chi. Troy finally understood why Ryan could do the splits on cue and perform one-handed cartwheels on stage. For once, the Playmaker envied the Drama King .

"Troy! Hold up!!" The sudden outburst had caused Ryan to topple to the cement from the power of his own voice. He was thankful that the object of his affections didn't see him crash and burn for Troy also fell off of his bike due to Ryan's outburst. He had been going about 25 miles per hour due solely to the grade of the driveway when he was forcibly introduced to the concrete.

Ryan was so worried about his acquaintance that he jumped up, ran towards the crate that his mother and Sharpay use as an end table while sunbathing, stepped upon it, and hurdled the rod iron fence to give aid. Troy was fine, he knew so, and it was just a little road burn on the underside of his right forearm.

"¿Que pasa, el Presidente?" Troy attempted to joke though cognitive thought was nearly impossible at the moment.

"Are you okay, Troy? I certainly didn't mean to get you hurt!" Ryan looked as if his world had crashed around him off of the two rubber wheels.

"Ryan, I'm fine. I swear to it. Why didn't you just wave like every other morning?" Troy could barely hold back a chuckle.

"Actually it's my dad. He's quite upset with you." Troy gave Ryan a quizzical look, but the thespian continued. "He's upset that you haven't come to collect yet. He's wanted to tip you for a while, but your schedules just don't sync up."

Ryan preceded to hand Troy a handful of bills and made him promise that he'd accept the money. The brunette promised and the smaller form placed a handful of money into Troy's tee-shirt pocket. The artist's fingers accidentally pinched the jock's taut nipple so enticingly that both boys gave a shallow gasp. After the indentured high schooler gave his gratitude and climbed aboard the bicycle again, he bid Ryan farewell and continued home. He was never so happy to finish the route with the Evans'.

Troy returned his bicycle to the pickup and went inside. His parents were up and sharing the morning paper. When Mrs. Bolton realized that Troy had finished his job for the day, she commenced making the morning meal for the family. Since she worked part-time at the veterinary clinic and didn't need to be there until 10 o'clock, Jill Bolton made it her duty to make sure that her men left with a full breakfast inside every morning.

Troy went back into his bedroom and disrobed once again. He hopped into the shower and started to get ready for school.

HSM – SY HSM – SY

Troy pulled into his favorite parking spot, directly in front of the entrance to East High next to the wood shop.

He saw that two familiar cars were already in the parking lot, those belonging to Eddie Matthews and Chris Lucas. These guys are the epitome of the goody-two-shoes. While their grades weren't the best, they volunteered to sweep the shop every morning to remove all of the sawdust before homeroom. To make matters worse, Principal Matsui forced them to take pay for their work and they are technically the 'Specialty Division" of the Janitorial Staff. But these guys are too much. They tithe their paychecks to Our Lady of the Assumption and then give EVERY penny to the Salvation Army.

Troy loved this space for two reasons, it was next to the open door where he could smell the wood while waiting for homeroom, and also, it was right next to the reserved space for the Student Council president. So he parked by one of his best friends and enjoyed the natural scent that calmed him every morning.

Of course, today just HAD to be different, right? As he casually gazed into the shop window, he noticed Eddie pressed against the panes and he saw Chris take a swing at him. So, he ran inside to help.

Once he reached the door, both boys were on the floor in a tussle. They paused just before Troy was about to shout at them, and did the last thing that one could expect from these self proclaimed Jesus Freaks.

They started making out. Full-on tongue wrestling, earlobe nipping, give-me-a-hard-on making out. Troy just stood there and watched, mesmerized by these two hunks on the floor. That is, until he heard someone open the entrance door and enter.

Troy ran into the bathroom and hid for a few minutes, until he watched his own father walk by. He obviously knew about the boys, but refused to look. Troy had to retreat back to his pickup and try to calm himself. He'd certainly have blue balls today. Not only with what happened this morning with Ryan, but also Chris and Ed. Once in his vehicle, he turned the ignition to listen to the radio and fell asleep.

He awoke with a start when somebody tapped on the glass and commented, "You looked so peaceful, I almost didn't wake you." That was it. Troy decided right then and right there, he was going to tell his crush about his feelings. Consequences be damned. _God, please help Gabby talk me out of this! _Troy silently prayed and opened the door and go to class.

AN (3): So, whaddya think? I made up the word "Journalier" last spring in my French 112 class. They call newspapers "journaux" (journal is the singular) so I amalgamated 'journal' and 'cavalier' – which means "deliverer" to explain my occupation. Yes, I am a journalier and if it weren't for that wonderful yet underpaying job, I could not let my mind wander to HSM and such things as Efreel. I give you peace, love, and a side of pasta salad. – Eddie


	2. Chap 2: Monday Morning

So here's Chapter two!!

Chapter Two – Monday Morning

_God, please help Gabby talk me out of this! _I silently prayed and opened the door to go to class.

He stands there in front of me, the man of my dreams. He has changed since this morning. The sleeveless tee and gym shorts have been replaced by a plain dress shirt and black slacks. Wait, did I just say 'slacks'? But they are. They're semi-casual dress pants that are hugging his gluteus like a second skin. _Oh my God! Am I really checking the Student Council President out in the student parking lot?! I am such a fag!! He'll never like me._

Ryan gives me a kind and – dare I say – loving smile. I smile back with a dopey grin. "Wake up! Darbus would never forgive us if we were late to homeroom." And then it happened, he slapped me playfully on my triceps and made me follow him into the building. Thank God that the lil' buddy didn't come back to life. So I hypnotically follow Ryan across campus directly to the Drama Queen Bee's haven.

HSM – SY HSM – SY

Well, homeroom was semi-painful but not as horribly as last year. I just can't believe how much Ryan has changed since Sharpay left. But, of course _she's_ the one that gets to spend _her_ senior year in Paris. Surprisingly, Ryan is not bitter in the least. I was assigned the seat directly behind Ry but he sat sideways in his seat throughout the class. I can't handle seeing his face for thirty seven minutes every morning. I leave the classroom with a bolt as the bell rings. I forget that I was supposed to stay for the Drama Club meeting, considering that it is now Free Period.

Ryan rushes after me and grabs me by the elbow in the hallway. He looks pleadingly into my eyes and asks, "Aren't you staying for the meeting? I need my VP by my side if we're going to show these freshmen who means business."

I apologize as convincingly as I can muster. "Sorry, Ryan. I honestly forgot, but I need to go home and take a cold shower." He laughs uninhibitedly at my comment. "No, seriously, I can feel that I have a fever. I need to cool off before I get sick. Please, tell the rest of the club that I won't miss another meeting and I see y'all at Lunch." I turned on my heels and ran full speed away from Ryan. In all my fantasies, I never figured that I'd run AWAY from Ryan. I look back as I turn the corner and see Ryan still standing there, stupefied.

I arrive back at school just as lunch begins to find Ryan and Gabriella standing in my parking space. He's leaning against the hood of his powder blue Corvette and she stands straddling his left leg. There's nothing sexual in their stances, just looks like they're squishing to allow my passage. I was glad that my two best friends were waiting for me.

Gabby was actually the first to notice my clothes. I was now wearing a wife-beater under an open semi-opaque dress shirt and my clubbing jeans. She greeted me with the subconscious reaction for which I was hoping. "Ouch! Troy, you… are… HOTT!" I gave her a sheepish grin and shifted my gaze toward Ryan. He held the same stupefied expression and I noticed the reaction in his slacks. It's no secret that he's gay. He never came out, but he never denied the accusations either. That's why everyone was so comfortable with it; it was never gossip and conspicuous. I love how strong he is.

"So are you okay, Troy?" Gabby asks.

"I'm fine now." I keep Ry's eyes locked with mine as I answer. "Actually, I'm starving. Will you grab us a cheese pizza and put it on my account, Gabby?"

"Sure. Why don't you do it yourself?" Sometimes that girl can be so ditzy. I love her none the less. She's the one that I chose to come out to, she's the one that offered to be my beard, and she's just wonderful. She deserves nothing but the best.

"I need you to do it so I can talk with Ryan in private." I attempt being suave, but it was lost on the Einsteinette. "You know, we need to TALK about Drama Club." Her eyes light up and she leaves in nothing short of a dead sprint.

Ryan follows me into the woodshop and up to the Science Club botanical reserve. As we reach the door, I notice a swift movement around the corner and notice Eddie pulling up his jeans. I give him a wink and hear Chris ask, "Is the coast clear?"

I lean towards Eddie and whisper, "The secret's safe." I proceed to distract Ryan and note that the boys have recessed back into the wood shop.

"Troy, I don't think we should be up here." Ryan looks worried for a moment.

"Why would you say that?" I inquire shiftily.

"'Cause I think that Chris and Ed wanted some privacy." He giggles. This is definitely a good sign. At least I didn't have any secrets to keep from him. Well, I won't in about three seconds.

"Ry, what do you think of homosexuality?" I always focused on the end of the conversation. I never knew how to start it.

"Well, if I had a choice, I wouldn't have picked it. But, I'm happy with my life, gaiety and all." He responded like I was about to hit him. I grab him by the shoulders and he flinches. That flinch breaks my heart.

"No, no. That's not how I meant to ask that." He gives me another expression that somehow conveys that he wants me to re-ask my loaded question. "What I wanted to ask is, what do you think of _MY _homosexuality?" He blanches. Almost like he's going to be sick. Suddenly, I'm scared shitless.

"Fuck you, Troy Bolton. How could I ever think that you wanted to be my friend? This is just one huge practical joke. Well guess what, Troy? I won't let you make an ass of me. I finally became myself without Sharpay. I won't let you and your Sports Posse change me again." He turned to run away, tearful sobs coming from deep inside his throat. I dive in front of him and grab his shoulders again. He's crying so forcefully that he shakes within my grasp. At that moment, I loose my mind.

I lean in and place my lips upon his. I stifle him for a second and after applying just a little extra pressure he responds. I feel as if we've become one soul because he immediately stops crying while tears escape the ducts in my eyes. I suddenly have to hold him upright because his knees went weak.

I place him onto the bench that Gabby and I shared during her first week at East High. I just hold him and attempt to quit my sorrowful display. "How could you think that I would be so malicious? Do you realize how hard this is for me? More importantly, do you realize how hard YOU make me?" He looks deeply into my eyes and just begins to cuddle. Suddenly we hear the door open and we push each other away. He gives me a knowing look and here appears Gabriella with a large pizza.

She sits between us and suddenly my phone vibrates. _Text Message Received – Ry Ev._ Oh this WILL be good.


	3. Chap 3: Back to Reality

Chapter Three – Back to Reality

I wake to the sound of our doorbell with a start. The bathroom is rather dark, yet the sun is still shining outside. My bath water has long run frigid. So I clamber out of the tub, wrap a towel around my waist, and answer the door. I almost loose my footing as I head downstairs; I guess I'm still weak from the fever.

As I reach for the deadbolt, I hear someone on the other side insert a key. The door opens and there stands Ryan, apparently grateful that I'm still alive. "Oh, you're okay! Gabby and I've been calling since lunch period!" He gave me the largest bear hug of my life, and I melt in his arms.

He feels my weakness and swiftly carries me to the living room sofa, loosing my towel in the process. He lays me back and notices my nakedness. He quickly retrieves my towel and attempts to cover me. I push him away lightly and sit upright, grab my towel, and dress myself. There was no anger or malice felt between us. That's why I'm so glad that I told him how I feel.

But wait, didn't he say that he called me during lunch? I'm seriously freaked out by this revelation. "Ryan, we ate lunch together. What do you mean you were calling me?" He gives me an incredulous look and his eyes fill with sorrow.

"Troy, you've been home since the beginning of Free Period. Gabby gave me her key so I could check on you since I don't have a last period class. Why didn't you answer your phone?" Ryan asked with tear-filled eyes that threaten to fall. That's when it hit me. It was all a dream. I never kissed him; we never caught Chris and Eddie on the roof. I hallucinated the entire thing. Suddenly I feel sick, and I tell him so.

He goes upstairs to get me some clothes. I'm on the couch with cold chills, so I thank him upon his return. I stand to put on my underwear and fall flat on my face. He helps me up and braces himself to be my crutch. I cannot bend over to pull up the boxers that he picked for me, so he does it. If I had not been so weak, it would be a much stickier situation at this point in time. He doesn't even offer to help me with the rest of my clothes; he just does it and I let him.

So here I lie in my living room with Ryan sitting on the floor in front of my torso. He's stroking my shoulder and pulling back the hair that gets into my eyes. Is there any wonder why I love him so? If only I weren't such a coward. I would pull him to me and kiss him with all the depleted strength I could muster. But I don't.

I must've passed out because suddenly I awake and Ryan is now on the couch, with my head in his lap. He's turned on the television, but I cannot see what he's watching due to the endless stream of commercials. I feel quite a bit better, so I sit up and rest against his chest. His gloriously built yet perpetually covered chest. That Tai-Chi must do wonders for him.

"Ryan, you're my best friend in the entire world. I love you." It was out before I even had a chance to stop myself. I feel him stiffen as well.

"I love ya too, Troy. We're best buds and that's a love in and of itself. I shall always love you, Mon ami." He responds. I wonder if he knows how it affects me when he speaks French. I'm so enraptured in my own thoughts that I almost don't hear him continue. "So, since Ms. Darbus has to have her surgery ASAP, they've asked me to direct the fall play. I offered suggestions to the Drama Club, and they came to the consensus that instead of having a production, we should get together during Free Period and work on bettering ourselves and each other." One breath. He said all of that in one breath. It wasn't even rushed. Wow.

"So then, if all the rehearsals are during Free Period, then I can still go out for a sport!" I stated a little to excitedly. He frowns for only a second but he covers it up with his normal million watt smile.

"Exactly! I was hoping that we could go out for a sport together. You know, that's what the new Ryan Evans should be… Actor-slash-Singer turned Jock. With his best buddy Troy "the basketball boy" Bolton… Jock turned Singer-slash-Actor!" I giggled at him for using the most obnoxious nickname that has ever been unwanted placed with my moniker. "So, would you rather play tennis or golf? I'm pretty decent in both, so, I figure we could do JV together." He was a little too excited.

"Ry, dude, don't have a heart attack! I was actually thinking about wrestling. I figure if I'm in a really aggressive sport during the fall season, I won't foul as often during basketball. What do you think about that?" I was genuinely excited to be a wrestler. I hope he'll want to go out with me. WAIT! I hope he'll go out FOR WRESTLING with me. It would be fun.

His face falls and this time he doesn't attempt to cover it. I lean closer to hear him. He's whispering now. "Troy, it's no secret that I'm gay. How do you think the team will feel having a flaming queer on the team?"

How can he break my heart like that? "Ryan. Look at me. Screw them all. If they can't see you for the loving, caring, brilliant individual that you are, screw them." I have never attempted to counsel anyone. I hope that was the right kind of motivation.

He starts cracking up and I can't figure out why. After he calms down, I give him a quizzical look and he smiles. "I think they'd have a problem with that." I still don't understand. "If they don't like me for being gay, I'm pretty sure they won't let me screw them." He bursts out laughing again. This time I join in.

My eyes start to droop and he notices. "Shush. Go ahead and sleep. You need your strength so we can try-out for the wrestling team. I'm not going anywhere." He's so compassionate. But I obey. The last thing that I remember is him humming Bram's Lullaby to me and stroking the side of my head.

AN: SO?? What do y'all think??!? Please review. I need ideas. I need compliments. I need someone who's not happy with the story to tell me so. Okay, maybe not the last one, but if you're out there, review anyway!!


	4. Chap 4: Tuesday

I awake the next morning. How I got myself into my bed I'll never know. Suddenly there's a squeak behind me and I quickly turn to find Ryan in my dresser. I get over the shock of having him in my room and smile. "Morning!" I exclaim with a stretch and long sigh. "What time is it?"

He looks at his watch and responds, "5:45. We've got an hour still before you need to get up. Go back to sleep." He's such a mother too me. Is that weird? It's almost incestuous, isn't it?

"What?! 5:45? I have 15 minutes to deliver my papers! How could you let me sleep?" I'm running around the room, attempting to get dressed at the same time. I trip over the leg of my jeans and fall directly in front of him.

"Dude, relax! I called the Gazette last night and told them I was picking up the papers from your house and doing the route for you. They gave me a list with all the houses on it and I got it done about an hour ago." He was stroking my back and almost massaging my shoulders as well. I don't know what I'll do if I ever lose his touch. Upon realization that I'm no longer royally screwed, I collapse onto the carpet and noticeably relax every muscle in my body. Well, not _every_ muscle. He is still touching me after all.

He sits from the crouching position that he'd previously held. I lean up and he's smiling. Not a wide toothy grin but a genuine I'm-glad-you're-feeling-better grin. I begin to undress again and head into the bathroom. After showering, I notice that Ry hasn't moved yet. He's still sitting there but he's staring at my discarded underpants. How could I be so stupid as to disrobe in front of him? He looked seriously freaked. I clear my throat and it breaks him from his trance. He looks into my eyes like I had caught him with his hand in his pants but I give him a huge you're-such-a-0dork-sometimes grin and he relaxes.

"I promise I'm not a slob. I'll get those picked up after I have clothes on." I declare trying to lessen the tension. It works.

"I'll wait downstairs. Maybe we can walk to school today, considering we have the time." He suggests from the doorway. I nod in response.

HSM – SY HSY – SY TRYAN HSM – SY HSM – SY

We reach the far end of the student parking lot when Eddie pulls up to his normal spot. Chris is already waiting for him. As soon as the former stands outside of the car door, the latter wraps his arms enthusiastically around his boyfriend's waist and they kiss longingly. They turn to walk into the school, hand in hand.

I look at Ry and say, "I don't care who you are. Gay or straight, that was hot."

His eyes go wide and his cheeks drop. He recovers and replies, "I want to want some guy that badly. That's a true display of affection. To wait for him to show up, just to declare his love again. That's what makes it hot." He looks longingly at the entrance that has since swallowed the party in question.

"I knew you were a romantic, Ry. But seriously, could you be any gayer?" I chuckle, attempting to cheer him up, but he gives me a dejected look and starts to walk away. Oh shit. What have I done? "Wait, Ryan! That didn't come out the right way!"

He turns sharply and speaks with an edge to his voice that is completely foreign to me. "And how, Mr. Golden-Boy, was I supposed to take that statement? Please enlighten me. I will enjoy watching you dig your own grave." I have now seen Ryan pissed. It honestly scares me more than I've ever felt. That includes when I think of coming out to my dad.

"What I meant to say was, 'That was so stereotypically a _gay_ comment that if I didn't already know that you were attracted to guys, we'd be spending the final 45 minutes before homeroom discussing your sexuality in an open and caring fashion.'" He smiles and silently tells me to catch up. "I'm guessing you liked the second comment better?" I half-ask.

He rolls his eyes and responds, "Je pense qu'oui." Of course, my heart skips a beat and I swear that he notices.

We enter the school and head to my locker. I switch the books in my messenger bag for the ones in my locker. I never thought of having such a satchel slung across my chest, but it was a birthday present from Ryan. Therefore I love it. He leads me to the auditorium. We always hang out there before school.

"Troy," he starts. "May I borrow your bag? I need to pop my back." I gladly give of my most wonderful present and watch intently. "My chiropractor says I need to learn how to carry my weight differently." He lays flatly on the stage and places the bag behind the small of his back and leans backward. I hear a sickening pop and he sits up. I take my bag and throw it onto a seat. "Thanks." He mentions. I respond with a smile.

He leans back again, using his bag as a pillow. Unconsciously, I lean back as well and rest my head on his right shoulder. He softly snorts. "You know, if someone were to walk in right now, this would look rather damning." He smiles.

"I really don't care. We share this unspoken intimacy between us that just seems so right. I don't care what anyone else thinks." I roll onto my side so I can see his face.

"I never thought of it like that, but I agree." With those words, I nuzzle into his neck and he shifts to accommodate me.

"Hmm. You smell good, Ry." It was the truth. His natural scent was _very_ inviting.

He laughs heartily. "Okay. Now _that_ was gay." I join in his reverie. Sadly, the bell rings and we go to homeroom. "I'll meet you here before try-outs after school. Is that okay?" I nod in accordance. I try to read his intentions. Was he mothering me again, or was he afraid to walk in alone? I was comfortable with either situation.

I suddenly chuckle to myself. I imagined Ry and I romancing together and mutter to myself, "Troy Bolton: Actor, Athlete, and MILF!" Oh it's going to be a long day. The thought of Ryan in a singlet gets me through, though.


	5. Chap 5: TryOuts

AN: This is the first TRYAN 'sex' scene. Little eyes probably won't catch it, but it's vital to the storyline. I actually depressed myself while writing this, but I don't think it's necessarily angst. If you have a problem with bodily fluids, you have been warned. They are mentioned plentifully in this chapter.

Senior Year – Chapter Five: Try-outs

We walk into the gym together and look about ourselves. There appear to be about 15 other guys to fill 28 roster spots. I don't think I'll have an upset Ryan on my hands. He might make second-string but at least he'll make the team. We head into the locker room and get changed within the allotted time. I didn't figure that we were quick, but we only took five minutes. I just can't wait to grapple with my Platinum Prince.

I gaze towards the door and 11 more guys, including my dad, file in. "Okay, guys! We have 28 trying out and 28 positions. Come weigh in and we'll start." That's Dad for you. All business, all the time.

Ryan was really upset. He weighed in at 144 pounds. I wouldn't have guessed he had it in him, but those hidden muscles would throw off someone's guess, huh?

"There's already two guys signed up for the 140-145 class. I have to beat both of them to get the spot." He seems really discouraged and it breaks my heart. I weigh in and ask my dad if they can re-weigh Ry. He agrees because I see that I'm the only one in my weight class (145-152). I run and get Ry a candy bar and he weighs at 145. I get to grapple the hunk and his eyes brighten upon hearing the bittersweet news.

Try-outs have been seemingly uneventful but for Ryan and me, it's anything but. I pin him to the mat and he squirms. That's when I feel it. Ry's got a hard-on!! My mind is screaming at me. His eyes go wide and he knows that I know. He throws me off of him and runs into the locker room. I instinctually run after him.

I find him cowering in the showers in the fetal position. "Ry, it's not that bad." I really have no idea what I'm doing here. I don't know what to say or what to do.

He looks at my face. His eyes are red from crying and his flushed cheeks are wet from what I can only guess are tears. "Not that bad? I've kept to myself whenever we're near each other. But you still found out."

I sit next to him and grab his hand. He's trembling. I want to just pull him into my arms and tell him everything, but I still can't. God damn it Troy!! Stop being such a fucking coward! "Ry, it's natural. We have so many nerves down there and coupling that with being a hormone-filled teenage boy, it's bound to happen."

He hangs his head and starts crying again. "No, Troy. It happened because it was you. For the first time since I've realized I was gay, you were touching me forcefully and we were working a goal. My mind tried telling me that you were falling for me and it would only be a matter of time until we had what Eddie and Chris share."

I stare back dumbfounded. Words escape me and I'm paralytic. There's so much I want to say, to do even. But I can't. I wish I could bitch-slap myself and face up to the love of my life, but I can't. He just continues to cry and I let him. I never leave, but when he takes his hand back, I let him.

We hear the rest of the team coming into the room and he stands hurriedly. He dashes into the closet where the equipment is kept and I casually follow. "Seriously Bolton. Leave me be."

I pull him into a hug. He struggles but I subdue him. "I can't fathom what's happened today. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm your friend and I want to help you come to terms. Please, let me comfort you. I loosen my hold and I feel him move again. I figure he's trying to get away and I decide that I'll let him this time. He frees his arms and forcedly wraps them around my waist. He holds on for dear life and I resume my hold on him.

I feel my singlet soak with his tears and tell him that I need to adjust my stance because my knee's locking up. He backs away and I sit on the concrete. He promptly sits next to me and reaches for my embrace again. I hold him until the lights in the locker room are turned off. I grunt lightly and he shushes me. "Please, just one more moment. I can't deal with all of this yet. I just need my friend to keep me from reality for just one more minute."

I pull him onto my lap whispering, "You take as long as you want. There's no rush, but my shift's over. I would like you to meet Raul. He'll take care of you from here on out."

I scramble off the floor and grab the sombrero my dad always wears for Crazy Hat Day. I return and Ryan's sobbing again. In an awful broken-English Spanglish accent I get his attention. "Hola my friend! I am Raul. I'm here to making the pain say 'bye'." He looked at me and let out a sorrowful chortle. I quickly sit back down and it's almost as if I've never left. "Ryan, I don't want to rush you, but my dad's locking up his office. If you want a ride, we need to vamoose."

He lets go and I stand upright. I offer my hand and he accepts it. "Donc, allons-y!" He runs out of the closet and my knees go weak once more. Why does it have to be French?

Once I get dressed, Ry's waiting for me in the gym. "We missed him. Looks like we're walking." He doesn't look to enthused at the prospect of further exercise, or is it the choice in company that makes his face sour?

We walk briskly, considering it probably only 50 degrees (Fahrenheit) out. We move in an awkward silence, but he doesn't object when I reach for his hand. We pass my street and he turns to me sternly when I don't part from him. "I can get there by myself Bolton! I don't need and babysitter just because I cried. Go home!"

I'm almost too scared of this Ryan to cry. Almost is the operative word. "But Ry –" I start, but he marches off in a huff. The worst part was he doesn't even glance back at me. That's the moment I feel my heart break. It hurts so much that I vomit onto the sidewalk, in front of some children playing. They all start to cry and run into their house. It looks like a good idea, so I do the same.

HSM – SY TRYAN HSM – SY

"Where the hell did you go?" My dad exclaims as soon as the door's shut. "You scared me half to death when I couldn't find you and you didn't answer your phone!" I just give him a cross look and run upstairs. I slam the door to my room. I didn't mean to, but it happened nonetheless. For the first time in my life, I cry myself to sleep.

AN (2): If you don't speak French, Ryan's line, "Donc, allons-y" translates roughly into "Well, let's go then." I think I'm going to post chapters with the French within the dialogue and translated at the bottom much like this. REVIEW!!


	6. Chap 6: Road to Las Cruces

It is now Friday morning and I get up to do my route per usual. I told my delivery guy that I needed them early so I could make it to the 6AM bus to Los Cruxes. Today starts the statewide wrestling tournament in which the schools are seeded per their performance. I open the front door and there's Ryan curled in the fetal position. He looks at me for the first time since he yelled at me and his eyes water. I realize that mine are as well, but he doesn't allow my mind to dwell on such things.

"I knew you needed help to make the bus this morning, so here I am." His voice is colder than I've ever heard, it breaks my heart. He stands and starts to walk off of the porch and I notice both bags lying on the porch, already filled with folded papers. He grabs one and hands it to me. He then takes the other and sets it on his shoulder. He starts to walk away and I let him. He knows the houses on his half of the route that receive the paper, so I don't argue.

It's almost ironic that I'm left with one paper as I make my way back home. Suddenly my cell rings; it's Ryan. "I was one short, so I took my parents' copy and delivered it." There's that same harsh voice again.

"Okay. I'll be by in a few minutes with a paper then." I respond. I try to act casually, but to know that I'll be at his house again sets me into a nervous panic and yet, I can almost taste dread as well.

"Hey, one more thing." He continues before I can disconnect.

"What's up?"

"My folks don't want me leaving Vetta at the school all weekend. Can I hitch a ride in Wildcat since you're coming by anyway?" He seems desperate. Maybe I _can_ melt the Ice Prince's heart today. I just love how he named his Corvette after giving me hell for calling my pick-up "Wildcat".

"Sure. Not a problem. Is ten minutes soon enough?" I reply.

"Fine. I'll be ready." He at least seems genteel at the moment. Suddenly the acrid taste I was experiencing is now gone.

HSM – SY HSM – SY

We pull up to the school into my usual spot. Ryan grabs his duffel out of the bed and mentions, "I have a quick errand to run for Student Council. Can you take my wardrobe bag to the bus for me?" I just nod and he gives me an uncertain smile. My day is getting better by the moment.

I take a seat next to Chad on the bus and we're having a pleasant conversation. Once everybody's boarded, my dad announces that we need to sit with the other guy in our weight class and bond on the four hour drive.

"You'll be facing the same opponents. We'll be more successful if you guys can compare notes in between matches." As soon as he finishes, the team starts to mill about to find their respective partners. I sit next to Ryan and he groans.

HSM – SY HSM – SY

We've just passed the half way point to Los Cruxes and I awake to a disgruntled Ryan. He's attempting to read his French textbook and apparently he's not getting it. I shift to let him know that I'm awake and he jumps at the opportunity.

"Troy, you've taken French III, right?" His question is simple and direct. I nod my acquiescence. "How do you remember ce que, ce qui, and ce dont?"

"It's quite simple. Are you familiar with how to use que, qui, and dont?" He shakes his head in negation. "Okay. If you want to bind two clauses together, you can use any of these three or où as a conjunction. 'Que' is equivalent to 'that' in English. If there's no subject in the second phrase, you would use 'qui', even though we would still use 'that' in English. 'Où' can take the place of 'when' or 'where' because the two are rather interchangeable in our tongue. Finally, 'dont' means 'which'. To add 'ce' to either 'que' or 'qui' means 'from' or 'to' 'that'. When it is added to 'dont', it can mean either 'of which' or 'of whom'. A good way to see if you use 'dont' is if you have a phantom 'de' in the sentence. It would likely end ' j'ai besoin', ' tu as raison', or ' ils ont beaucoup'." I can see the wheels turning in his head.

"Could you give me an example of a 'ce dont' statement? That's the only one that I don't really understand."

I smile warmly and force him to look into my eyes. "Depuis sept ans, je me sentais ces sensations ce dont j'avais peur." (For the last seven years, I've had these feelings of which I have fear.) It takes a moment for him to place all the words together back into English. He gives me a quizzical look.

"Was that just an example, or was that truth?" I mouth the word 'truth' to him and he closes his eyes in concentration. "Quelles types de sensations?" (What type of feelings?)

"Lesquelles qui me forcent vouloir te tenir pendant la nuit. Lesquelles qui me forcent penser de toi toute la journée. Lesquelles qui se cassent mon cœur quand tu ne t'ammuses pas." (The ones that force me to want to hold you throughout the night. The ones that force me to think of you all day long. The ones that break my heart every time that you're unhappy.) I was expecting an outburst. Hell, I was expecting to be struck by lightning. All I know is that my life, as I know it, is over.

He concentrates for a moment and his eyes open in shock. "Vraiment?" (Really?) I nod sheepishly. "Troy…" it's almost as if he's at odds with himself. Here it comes. He's going to tell me that we can't work things out to be friends again. He never wants anything to do with me ever again. Okay, let's get this over with, "…Embrasse-moi." (Kiss me.)

I think I passed out for a second, because the next thing I know, he's crying while looking into my eyes. "Quoi?" (Wait… What?)

He looks down again and in a soft, sultry, timid voice, "I said, 'embrasse-moi'." That's all I needed. I grab his chin and tilt his face back to mine and ensnare his lips with my own. We didn't french, nor did either of us attempt entry into the other's mouth.

I pull back and look into his eyes to see tears of joy streaming down his cheeks, much like I feel on mine. I use my thumbs to wipe away his tears and rest my head upon his forehead. He pulls back after a second and I'm scared that he's changed his mind. He closes the offending textbook on his lap and places it back into his messenger bag. Then he starts to cuddle against me.

I shift my weight so that my back is in the corner where the seat meets the window and place my right arm onto the seat's back. He adjusts himself so that he's leaning against my chest. I wrap my arms around him and he whispers, "Tes bras me manquent." (literally – your arms are lacking me.; idiomatically – oh, how I've missed these arms.)

I smile and realize that he's fallen asleep. So I place a chaste kiss upon the top of his head and join him in the land of sweet dreams.


	7. AUTHOR'S NOTE

Is anyone still reading this? I want to continue, but I don't write it out for my own enjoyment. Just e-mail me if you want me to continue.


	8. Chap 7: Sixty Feet on One Shoulder

I awake to a loud clunk as the bus comes to a sudden and abrupt halt. Everyone scrambles to the back of the bus as I notice that Ry's in my arms. I kept him from falling to the floor, and he thanks me.

"Dude, Troy! Come look at this!" Jason is so excited.

Ry whispers, "Go. I'll still be here." I smile warmly and blow him a gentle kiss. Sitting upright, he allows for my departure and I meet my basketball buddies at the back window of the bus, along with my father and the rest of the wrestling team, save for Ryan.

"Coach Bolton, I don't understand it. I can't get the ignition to turn over." the bus driver comments.

"Have you tried putting it into 'neutral'?" Jack Bolton responds. He is currently prying his way through the student bodies to look out the window.

"The bus won't shift, Dad." I reply. I stifle a chuckle, but Zeke isn't as successful.

"And why is that, son?" He responds sarcastically.

"Because that huge chunk of metal laying in the middle of the lane a good 15 yards behind us happens to be the transmission. I don't think that the 'prendel' reaches that far." I answer matching his sarcasm. The entire bus, including the driver AND my father, all bust out laughing. "So, I say we all hop out, push the bus to the side of the road, and call for a tow truck." I assumed the role of the leader, much like any playmaker would.

So, we did it. I look around, trying to find Ryan only to spot him carrying the transmission back to the bus. Everyone is gawking at him like a bunch of slack-jawed yokels.

Once he finally approaches, I note aloud, "Ryan! How are you doing that? That thing must weigh a ton!" The guys surrounding us mutter acknowledgement of my statement but he scoffs lightly.

"Not really. Maybe 300 pounds, 350 tops." I rush to take it from him and my posse, Chad, Jason, and Zeke, come to my aid. We struggle to place the mechanical construct onto the ground. When the task is completed, Ry threads his arm around my waist.

I was glad that no one notices our embrace. Dad walks from the front door of the bus; clearly he has news from the driver. "Okay guys, there's another bus on the way. It's going to be a good three hours before it'll get here, considering the driver has an afternoon route to run on her way out of town. We're currently just over three miles outside of the nearest town. Let's start walking into town to get something to eat and wait in an air-conditioned environment." All the guys nodded in agreement.

Ryan pulls me toward the back of the group and takes his left hand from my left hip and entwined the digits of my right hand within it. We walk hand-in-hand all the way to town.

"Hey, there's something I need to ask you." I state after a good twenty minutes of comfortable silence. "Actually, two things." I continue.

"Sure." He mews.

"Firstly, how did you carry that transmission by yourself?"

"I said a silent prayer as I approached it in the road asking God to grant me the strength to remove it before anyone got hurt. As I bent over, I stretched my back like I do in yoga and I aligned my chakras. I lifted it and thought I was going to fall backwards, so again I asked, 'If it is You're will, please send me aid my Lord.' And I suddenly felt a half dozen hands brush along my arms and grab hold." He proclaims.

"Well then, praise God!" I respond.

"Absolutely. What was your second question?"

"Did we have a major conversation on the bus or did I dream it again?" I half-mutter. He smiles brightly.

"I wouldn't call it major, but apparently, tu as des sensations ce dont tu as peur." (You have feelings of which you have fear.) "Or, at least, t'avais." (You _had_)

I take this moment to capture his lips again and this time, it deepens. I break it off quickly and notice my father looking right at us from the front of the group. "Oh shit." We mumble simultaneously.

**Well, was it worth the wait? I won't post any more unless I get at least one review. I don't care if it says, "Where in the hell are you? Write more before I come and shoot you!" I would rather it not read as such, but cheggers can't be boozers.**


	9. Chap 8: Crappy Lunch in Socorro

I look at Ryan as we enter the McDonald's just inside the city limits of Socorro, NM. I had placed my order and gotten a salad for Mr. I'm-Not-Hungry-Because-Your-Dad-Caught-Us-Making-Out-And-Now-I'm-Afraid-That-He'll-Kill-Me. As I grabbed the food from the counter, my father whispers into my ear, "We need to talk." I quickly turn to find him holding Ry by his elbow. It looks as if all of the color in the younger's faces has been washed away and flushed into the elder's. I set down the food and followed obediently, expecting the worst and yet, expecting nothing at all.

"All I have to say is that I wish you boys had come to me before you started sleeping with each other. Do I not deserve that much respect?" His voice holds a harsh timbre, yet he isn't angry.

"But Dad, we aren't sleeping together." I state almost apologetically. He shifts his gaze toward Ryan who nods in agreement.

"But saw you two on Monday. You were in the same bed naked." Dad continues.

"We were only shirtless, Sir. We always sleep in the same bed and the room got so hot that we took off our shirts in the middle of the night. I swear." Ry pleads.

"We've only been going out since 11:30 this morning, Dad." I interject.

"And Evans here makes you happy Son?" He inquires. I nod and Ry blushes. "Well, I would've guessed that you would've picked Dachshund, or whatever her name is."

"Dad, her name's Sharpay, not Dachshund." I chuckle.

He forcefully grabs Ryan and shakes him once for effect. "If you hurt him, I swear to God in Heaven that it'll be the last thing you ever do." Ryan just stands there wide-eyed and blanched. Suddenly, Dad guffaws, slaps Ry on the back harshly, and walks back to his table.

"Whew." He whispers, falling into my arms. I kiss the top of his head and proceed to the table and to our food.

Chad, Zeke, and Jason suddenly pile into the booth with us and after about five minutes Jason asks, "Ryan, why do you eat with your left hand? I thought you were right-handed."

I see that Ry is trying to come up with a good answer but I beat him to it. "This is why." I state just before slamming our clasped hands atop the table.

Chad was the first to react. "I know that you two are really touchy-feely, but seriously, get a room you two." All of us laughed to some extant, ranging from a slight chuckle from Ry to a belly rending guffaw from Zeke.

Ryan took a bite from his salad and with his mouth full, "But, what if we were together?" The others sat silent and obviously bothered by the situation.

As he takes another bite, I see some dressing on Ry's cheek. "Here, Babe." I say as I peck his lips and lick up the offending sauce. Chad quickly stands and goes to sit next to some other teammates. I start to worry, but about five minutes later I receive a vibration in my pocket. Chad has texted me.

_Dude! Enough's enough. Stop playing like you're gay all of a sudden._

I decided to respond. _This is who I am C. No jokes, no games, just the real me. I hope that you can be happy for me just like I am for you & Tay._

Another Message. _I seriously want to congratulate you, buddy. But I just need some time to sort all of this out. I'm just not used to the whole gay thing._

And that was the last contact I was to have with Chad for a good chunk of the semester. Jason and Zeke are talking about a six-some or something like that… I decide not to listen. I wish I could afford the same luxury to my Drama King, though.

Suddenly, I see a familiar Caravan pull up to the restaurant (if you really can call McDonald's a restaurant. That would imply that they serve food; and of course, we all know that that's not the case.) It is followed by a bus driven by none other than Esmeralda Montez.

Three boisterous women rush into the building and usher all of us into the bus. Of course I speak of Ms. Montez, her lovely daughter Gabriella, and the Chem Club President Taylor McKessie. Ms. Montez announces, "The school board is allowing the girls and I to stay the weekend, so we can get the boys' thing in my van and meet up at the hotel."

But, Sweet Gabriella counteracts, "Mom, can Taylor and I take the bus instead? We want to be with Chad and Zeke." So it was arranged that the three would take the bus and Ry would go back to the bus with me.

As Gabby tosses me the keys to her mom's van, Ry murmurs, "Maybe we can have some fun in the bus… alone." I squeeze his hand and notice my divining rod returned.

**Should they – or – shouldn't they? First five votes decide.**


	10. Chap 9: Fun in the Bus

I'm all smiles as Ry and I approach the broken-down bus. I tell him, "It'll be easier if we start in the back and work our way forward. That way, we won't miss anything." He grins as he nods in agreement.

I board firstly, with him on my heels. I see Chad's bag stuffed into the corner of the back seat, so I climb onto my hands and knees on the bench to grab it. "Quelle belle vue!" Ryan gasps as he gazes onto my upturned ass. (What a gorgeous sight.) I look at him with wanton eyes and he lunges towards me, effectively knocking me into the back of the seat. After a few seconds of recomposing gropes and fondles, I lay on my back with a breathless Adonis lying atop of me.

I kiss him with all the lustful energy I can muster and he meets my embrace threefold. "Have I ever told you what happens when you speak French to me?" I inquire in between nibbles on his earlobe and nuzzling his gullet. He pulls back and looks into my eyes, suddenly fearful of the answer. I took his hand and placed it onto the fly of my jeans, quite obscenely protrusive and in need of attention. "Voila!" (If you need a translation for this one, I must question your intelligence.)

He opens his palm flatly and forcibly begins to rub me through the denim and cotton of my underpants. I actually squeal because he feels so good. My moans increase in pitch as well as volume. Suddenly he stops and shushes me calmly. "Si tu ne te comportes bien, j'arrêterai." (If you can't compose yourself any better, I'll stop.) His lips meet mine in a light brushing motion which only drives me all the crazier with passion.

As he opens my fly, I reach for his as well. I can finally feel my lover's sex between my fingers and I must say, it feels as if we were meant to be stay like this forever.

"Troy, je t'aime. Je t'aimais toute ma vie. Je t'aime, je t'aime, je t'aime!" (Troy, I love you. I've loved you all my life. I love you!) We're so close now that we're both humping ourselves into each other's hands. In some very distant figment of ny consciousness, I realize that dusk is approaching.

All of a sudden, we are aware of blue and red flashing lights across the ceiling. We compose ourselves and straightening up.

"Is there a problem here, boys?" the officer asks through the emergency exit. Oh, will my father have a field day with this one.


	11. Chap 10: Conversation & PseudoFlashback

"Is there a problem here, boys?" the officer asks through the emergency exit.

"No, everything's fine, Sir." Ryan answers waving politely.

"Are you sure? The bus was a-rockin'; that's why I came a-knockin'." The patrol officer continues.

"I swear everything's okay." I interject stepping toward the window.

"And what exactly are you two doing alone on a broken-down school bus from a good sixty-five miles away, anyway?" he persists.

"We're with the East High Wrestling Team. The bus broke down a couple of hours ago and the school district couldn't send us another until after school got out. My friend's mother drove the replacement to us, with her daughter following in the family's caravan; the one parked in front of us. It was decided that since we had the time on our hands, the team walked into Socorro to eat lunch, but by the time we made it, it turned into more of an early dinner. So since our friend and her mother had still needed to eat, Ryan here and I brought the van to pick up everyone's gym bags. So, here we are." I speak rather quickly. I figure that the patrolman doesn't buy it, but at least it's the truth.

"So, why was it rocking, then?" he inquires

"One of the bags was stuck under the seat and it was taking both of us to get it free. I didn't figure we shifted the weight _that_ much, but anything's possible, I guess." Ryan states as cool as a cucumber. I make note that he lies _really_ well. So, that makes two things that he does really well.

"Okay boys. Just be quick and drive safely getting back into town. I'd hate to read the headlines stating that two of the state's finest athletes were slain by rush hour traffic." He concludes. We both nod enthusiastically and he turns on his heel to return to the patrol car.

After the law enforcement vehicle was plainly visible through the windshield of the public transport, Ryan gives an exaggerated sigh and sinks onto the bench opposite where I stand. "That was a close call." He sighs again. I smirk at the blush that creeps onto his cheeks once more. "Now, where were we?" He shoves me onto the bench and starts to crawl onto me again.

"Actually, Ry… I'm not really ready for this yet. I mean, we haven't even been going out for eight hours yet. I want you to know that I love you before I try to show you how much I love you." I went from being scared of getting caught to being scared of losing him in just a matter of two thoughts. I look longingly into his eyes and I see understanding.

"But _I_ want to prove it to you now." He pouts. "I've been waiting for this since the third grade!" He gives me puppy dog eyes and his bottom lip is protruding exaggeratedly.

I give him an incredulous look, "Third grade? But we met in third grade." I'm suddenly very interested. "When did you know you were gay?"

He blushes and tries to get away. I grab him by the wrist and when he attempts to break my hold, I grasp tighter. I don't want to hurt him, but I want him to get the idea that there's no running from this.

"Seriously, Ry. When?" He composes himself and sits back onto the other bench. I sit up and kindly hold his hands.

"September 6th, 1994." He answers plainly. I give him a look that says 'you're not getting off the hook that easily'. So, he takes another breath and starts, "It was a Tuesday, the first day of school. I looked around the room and there was this amazing boy sitting in the corner. The moment I saw his face, I popped my first boner."

I couldn't help but giggle. But we were in the same class. I was new to the school, considering that my mom had gotten a better-paying job and we moved into a nicer neighborhood.

"Every day, I would see this poor, sad, little angel and he would cause my body to do weird things. That's when I knew."

I looked him in the eyes with a confused acceptance. I don't remember anyone being so secluded. I would've noticed too. I was a loner back then.

"But I know what you really want to ask. You want to know when I started to have feelings for you, n'est-ce pas?" (literally – Isn't that so?; idiomatically – Right?) I nodded enthusiastically. "One day at recess, we were one person shy of a good game of Red Rover and so I went to my angel and asked him if he wanted to play. He accepted gladly. I continued with, 'by the way, my name's Ryan.' And he responded, 'Troy.' And he shook my hand. With that handshake, I thought I felt the earth shake, the clouds rumble, and the sky light from an angelic source. That's when I knew that I wouldn't know happiness until you knew how I felt."

"It only took you nine years, Ry. I'm impressed." I chuckled.

"Yeah, but the earth would _really_ have to swallow me whole to keep us apart now." He smiles as he entwines his left hand into mine and draws his right to my cheek. He caresses me gently so I lean forward and place a chaste kiss upon his lips.

When I reopen the eyes that I didn't realize that I had closed, it is significantly darker. "We really should get back." I state. He nods his head while resting his forehead against mine. So we quickly load the van and head back toward town.

**Sorry last chapter was so short; I hope this one makes up for it. **


	12. Chap 11: On the Road again

"Guys, Seriously! Where have you been?" Dad isn't pissed. 'Pissed' doesn't even to begin the wrathful rage with which we face upon our return to the quasi-restaurant.

"Sorry, Dad. We were stopped by the state patrol and they had to call back to Albuquerque to verify our stories. I try to give him a look of innocence yet also convey aggravation towards the five-oh. "They detained us for about forty-five minutes."

"But you were gone for two hours! What really happened?" he continues. I don't have any more excuses; that's why I'm so happy that Ry jumps into the conversation.

"After I unlocked the first undercarriage, I dropped the keys," thus raising the bus driver's key ring containing more metal shards than a common janitor's, "Thusly; it took me forever to find the right one. Wouldn't it figure, it was the last key that I tried?"

I roll my eyes and my dad chuckles. "Of course it was the last key Ryan. Why would you try another after getting the hatch open?" Ryan blushes profusely. How adorable!

HSM – SY TRYAN HSM – SY TRYAN HSM – SY

Since we'd appeased Dad, the team had no choice but to file onto Ms. Montez' bus and keep opinions to themselves. But, mind you, that was two-and-a-half hours ago.

I find that my arm has fallen asleep while draping it over Ry's shoulders. I move it away and he gives me puppy dog eyes. "Sorry. I just wanted to get more comfortable." I explain.

"What could be more comfortable than holding me in your arms?" he asks crossly. I notice a hint of melancholic sorrow in his voice and it makes me smile. "What the hell, Troy?!"

I kiss his lips lightly and lean my forehead against his. "How about this? I couldn't be more comfortable than I am right now." I see the corners of his mouth curl into a wicked grin. "Wait. I was wrong." I add upon adjusting myself. His frown reappears as I stand. I pull him to the wall of the bus and sit between him and the aisle.

Well, maybe 'sit' isn't a good way to describe it. I curl into the fetal position while lying on my back and then I hoist myself so that the small of my back lies against his lap. I rest my feet onto the bench and he wraps his arms securely around my bosom. He holds me by my right ribcage to support my weight during periods of acceleration and deceleration. He places his left hand lightly on my stomach and I place mine on top of his, entwining our digits. I turn slightly to place my right hand around the nape of his neck and give him another quick, chaste, yet passionate kiss. I rest my head in the crook of his neck and inhale audibly. Closing my eyes, I utter the most animalistic growl I can accomplish in appreciation of his delectable scent. I know he's smiling like a madman now.

"_Much _better." I murmur as I allow the weight of my head to fall upon his muscular form and roll so that the bridge of my nose runs perpendicularly to the invisible line running from the southern point of his ear canal to the bulbous end of his collarbone.

"Mais oui. Je suis en accord. C'est parfait." (Oh yeah. I agree. This is perfect.) He coos. I can feel him resting his cheek on my head and I know that we're going to fall asleep like this.

Or maybe not. I can't seem to get my mind to calm down. Maybe I should… "Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"


	13. Chap 12  Friday Night in Las Cruces

**I hope y'all are happy with this chapter. It's 11:45 right now and I had to drive 10 miles to the nearest available computer. Okay, so I'm not quite so selfless. There's no way I can sleep while this is still milling about my mind. Plus, why would I only want two-and-a-half hours of sleep anyway? With all of this in mind, don't expect another chapter until tomorrow afternoon or possibly Wednesday. I love you all and for those who will understand, **_**j'adore la faite qu'il y a certains entre vous qui comprend le français. J'habite dans une ville qui 85 pour cent parle espagnol exclusivement et 12 pour cent le parle chez lui-même**___** HAH! You'll never know what I said and I love it!!**

I'm awakened by Ms Montez' gentle shake on my shoulder. "Troy, we've arrived. You and Ryan need to go into the hotel so I can lock up the bus." She smiles warmly like only a mother can.

"Can't we just sleep in the bus?" I ponder aloud while stretching like a fat Persian (cat).

She chuckles. "No, sorry. But, there's a plate of warm brownies in it for you if you two go now." She's neither angry nor annoyed. She's still the calm and gentle soul that I met the week of Twinkle Town(e) callbacks. Suddenly, I'm fully alert and searching for my bags. "Your dad took the ones he could reach already. The only things you need to get are Ryan and the duffel that was under your back."

I nod appreciatively. She stands from the crouching position in which I had yet to realize she was holding. As she heads toward the door, I shake Ry only to notice that he's out like a log… or something like that. So I put the bag on like my messenger bag and grab Ry by the waist to lift him.

I end up dragging his toes on the floor of the automobile since there's no room to change his position in my arms. Once outside, I commence carrying him much like a groom would his newlywed bride. He wakes just enough to wrap his arms around my neck and reposition his head from over my elbow, chin up, to over my shoulder. He moans while reentering dreamland.

I finally make our way to the room and lay Ryan atop the duvet. I carefully untie and remove his shoes as I kneel on the floor at the foot of the bed. Upon setting the second shoe onto the floor, I incline my head and inhale. That's when it hits me. I know without a doubt that Ryan and I are meant to be together because I can relish in the odor emanating from his sweat socks. Not that I sit there and start smelling his feet, which I realize that I would have no problem doing if he asks. But, I'm certainly not repulsed by the vaporized perspiration.

I remove the socks and he wakes by the pulling on his fine blond leg hairs. I don't notice his consciousness. Subconsciously, I take the first sock and bring it to my nose before dropping it to the ground. "Wow. I can't believe how hot that is." He half-whispers.

I jump back due to the shock of being caught. When my mind recovers, I see him smiling while he pulls off his other sock. He lifts the garment and nonverbally asks me if I want it. I blush profusely and with a giggle, he smells the heel and proclaims, "I don't get it, but whatever floats your boat, Babe." I roll my eyes and stand to pin him to the bed.

As I'm about to reach his lips, both our cells start ringing. He groans in aggravation but I whisper, "Just one?" He smiles and devours my lips. I forcibly break the kiss so we can answer our phones. "I said 'one'." I answer his look of disappointment.

HSM – SY

It turns out that Gabriella was planning a recitation of the Rosary in the corridor within twenty minutes. I hang up on Chad, considering he's who rang me. Ry chuckles. "'Prayer Pajama Party'?" I smile and nod in accordance. "What does she mean by that?" I look fondly at him, now that he's sitting against the pillows at the head of the bed and I sit at the foot.

"She used to do it all the time on retreats in San Diego. Everyone gets ready for bed and then they meet in the hall and pray together until after lights-out. I can't believe that she's getting such a response considering that she, Eddie, and Chris are the only Catholics in the group." I explain.

"Well, I'm going anyway." He replies. "I'll change in the bathroom so that you can't get all kinky on me again." A malicious grin graces his lips. 

The moment that the door closes, I exclaim, "Crap!" He opens the door looking like he was ready to see that I'd stubbed my toe or something. "I didn't bring any pee-jays!"

His grin reappears and now a maniacal giggle accompanies it. "I brought something for you to wear. That's the errand I had to run this morning. If you promise not to look until I'm in the bathroom, I'll get it for you." I nod agreeing to his conditions. What else could I do? My options were slim to nil. He crosses to the closet where his garment bag is already hanging. I take the chance to inspect his current state of undress.

He's shirtless and the button fly on his jeans is gaping showing the cardinal red boxer briefs with a goldenrod elastic waistband that I bought him last School Pride Day. He was the only one to notice that even though we hold SPD the 14th of every month, during State Tournament for baseball last spring, a special Spirit Week was scheduled with Dress-Like-A-Superhero Day and School Pride Day double booked.

He's closing the door to the bathroom; so naturally, I'm sprinting to the closet. I open the sliding door to find my Wildcat warm-up suit hanging neatly on a plastic hangar. (Think Troy's outfit in "We're all in this Together"!) I smile broadly while shaking my head. Yep, no turning back now. I'm drowning in a sea of amorous emotion, thank to the slim blond twin.

I suit up and wait patiently at the door for Ryan. He opens the bathroom door and he's wearing a white terrycloth bathrobe. I look at him suspiciously, causing him to drop it to reveal my game day basketball jersey. I melt considering how well it hangs off of him. It's obviously one size too large, but perfectly so. He grins again and passes me closely as I open the door to the hallway.

"Do you like the alterations?" He coos with a voice dripping with wanton lust. My confused look is completely resolved once I see the back. He added the words, 'Property of T.' before the 'Bolton' that is embroidered from before. My knees go weak as we enter the hall, receiving cat calls from not only Gabriella and Taylor, but also from Eddie and Chris. Wow. True happiness has reentered my life after only one day. I never realized how truly unhappy I was with the status quo until I think of my life without Ryan. I guess that's why Chad mentions something about a goofy grin. Whatever could he mean?

_À Suivre!_


	14. Chap 13: Saturday

I wake the next morning and gaze at the screen of my cell. 5:47 AM. Okay, so I _was_ hoping to sleep in, but considering that I would've been up for three hours already at home, I'm content with my body's internal alarm. I stretch beginning with my toes, then my ankles, and then my legs. Before I know it, I look as if I was on one of Torquemada's stretcher. I grunt, unknowingly waking the platinum prince beside me.

I arise, causing him to whimper. I lean to kiss him and he roughly grabs me, pulling me closer. He did such a good job that we both end up on the floor on the opposite side. I successfully embrace him prudently and whisper, "I'm going to check out the Jacuzzi. Join me?" I see the light in his eyes as he clambers to his feet and run into the bathroom. I follow suit, not as noticeably anxious. My movements defy my heart though; it's beating a million miles per hour.

I step around the shower curtain and see Ryan undressing. I look across his back, the seam from my undershirt is imprinted into his porcelain skin. I audibly gasp in appreciation and he states, "I don't think so. You have to wait until I'm in the tub before you can see more." I'm starting to love that mischievous grin. I turn around and begin disrobing as well, wrapping a bath sheet around my waist to keep modesty.

As I climb in, I turn so that the towel remains between Ryan and me, remaining inches above the water. I continuously fold it in half to keep from getting soaked and yet cover my nakedness. Finally, the twig and berries rest on the bottom of the ceramic seat. I toss the drying implement onto the counter on the wall opposite of the tub. He rests his head against my chest and closes his eyes once more. I rest my head against the wall and fall back into slumber.

I shiver so violently that I wake both Ry and myself. The water's been drained and Gabriella is standing there covering her eyes. "Bus. Five minutes. I got breakfast. Remember clothes." She was so flustered that I couldn't stifle my laughter as she ran back out of the bathroom. Ryan, however, was utterly mortified.

"Why are you bugging? What's done is done, and I honestly think that she didn't see anything. Honestly, she's still Gabby for the love of toast!" I try to calm him, but the laughter became a sarcastic tone in my voice. He hugs me tightly and I add, "Let me take you away from the world. Just for a moment, though. We've got a tournament to win." He snuggles tighter and then stands to climb out of the bathing vessel. I follow and soon, we're boarding the bus.

HSM – SY

We've been wrestling all morning. It's now 1:30 in the afternoon. I just won one of the spots for the finals in my weight class. Now, I'm sitting with Ry on the bench waiting for his semifinal match to begin. He's going against Dave Saucedo from North High. The announcer can't stop mentioning that it's a big year for Albuquerque.

Ry's brow is furrowed. I look questioningly and he leans in and whispers, "I'm totally going to have to walk the dog when we get back to the room."

"You brought a dog?" Sometimes my naïveté even surprises me.

"No. I need to exercise my wrist, make the weasel pop, and rub one out." I can tell he aggravated. My expression doesn't ease so he says blatantly, "I need to take care of myself. I've been watching you grapple young, sinewy, lanky men all day. I'm so horny that I think I'll cry." I don't know what else to do; so, I hold him.

Finally his match begins and he has Dave pinned within seven seconds, a new state record. I give him a bear hug and he whines in pain as our hips collide. "That bad?" I ask and he nods enthusiastically. I see his eyes tearing up.

So now, 20 minutes later, I stand on the mats waiting for Ryan's and my finals match to begin. As we rush each other, I whisper, "I love you so much." And he smile sheepishly. "Ry, pin me."

"What? I don't want you to throw the match, Troy."

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing." So, I grab him between his legs in what looks like an attempt to flip him. In all actuality, I'm stroking his balls and making him cry out. "Shh! If you draw attention to us, we're both disqualified." I answer.

He finally brings me to the mat and I feel his member through the singlet. He's crying. "It hurts. It _really_ hurts."

I make him focus to my eyes and I tell him, "Make the pain go away. Just let it go. I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. Let it go baby." I lull him.

"Troy, please." He's openly crying now. I guess desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Lean down, babe." He presses his forehead onto the mat above my left shoulder and sobs. I nibble on his earlobe and whisper, "I will always love you. All of my heart, all of my soul; it's all yours babe. Just make the pain go away."

Of course, I was holding up pretenses and struggling against his weight, avoiding an actual pin. Suddenly, I feel him convulse and I can tell that he's unloading into his uniform. I stick the tip of my tongue into his ear until he stops holding himself up. As his weight completely crashes into me, I stop my struggle. He's declared the victor, but I know that in the end, I truly won.

Once we got into the locker room, he throws himself onto me and kisses me passionately. "When do I get to return the favor? I owe you _BIG _time." I just smile as I give him love bites along the clavicle.

"Troy!" I hear my dad yell into the room, causing me to jump, sending Ryan onto the bench in front of us.

"Ow, my ass!" he exclaims until I shush him.

I ran to the door and my dad says, "Aunt Phoebe and Uncle Coop are here. They're just passing through town so come to say 'hi' before they have to leave." I nod and grab Ryan by the top of the arm.

"I want to introduce you to my favorite uncle and his wife, Ry. C'mon! You're gonna love 'em!" I practically squeal. And so we go. The normal formalities are exchanged and, of course, both Ryan and I receive praise for our competition. Suddenly, Coop pulls me aside and pulls a box out of his pocket.

"When you visited over the Fourth of July, you left a sketch book at our homestead. I tried to give you your privacy, but you always were such an artist, I couldn't resist myself. I found some jewelry sketches and you know how I'm a silversmith. So, I made these for you."

I open the box and there were two necklaces inside. Homemade charms hung from the simple chain. I quickly hug Coop into a bear hug and he pats my back affectionately. "Troy, I'll see you soon. Go get your prince Charming, okay?" I nod and he half-smiles like only he can.

HSM – SY

We make our way back to the hotel and I pull Ryan to the bed. "I have a gift for you. My Uncle Coop made it." He opens the box to find the word's "Troy's Boy" carved into sterling silver with a gavel on one side and the masks of comedy and tragedy on the other.

He smiles politely but closes the box. I give him my, now common, befuddled look. He stands and takes a few paces before turning around. "Let's get one thing straight, Bolton." There's an edge to his voice. It surprises me. "I won't stand… wait. I **refuse** to be the girl in this relationship. Do I make myself clear?"

I bolt over to him trying to ease his voice. I figure that if I physically held him, it would be harder for him to break up with me. "I'll make you a deal then." I offer. "When I ask you on a date, let me be chivalrous. Let me show you how much I love you. But when you ask me, I'll do my best to let you treat me well. Agreed?" He nods.

"Fine. But if you want me to wear that necklace, you have to wear my class ring. Deal?"

"Yeah, if you wear my ring too."

"But then, what's the compromise?" He's beginning to get cross.

"The compromise, is that," I lean over to pick up the box, "You wear this necklace, and…" I proceed to lift the felt out of the outer container revealing the matching jewelry underneath. "I'll wear this one."

He smiles broadly, taking the newly revealed metal into his hand. "Ry's Guy. I like it." He runs his thumb across the charms adorning my necklace. On the left is a basketball going into the hoop, complete with the holes in the net. On the right is a putter making a slender 'x' form with one of those flags that goes into the hole on the green. He finds the clasp and secures it around my neck, with the writing laying across my collarbones.

Once he's done, I reach around his graceful appendage as well and notice that it's hanging a little too low. So, I reopen the clasp and set it five rings from the end and refasten. "C'est parfait." (It's perfection.) He whips his head around making sure that I heard him. I smile gently and he leans closer, "T'es parfait." (You are perfection.) He brushes his lips against mine and leads me to the bed. "I know that you helped me earlier, so I want to help you now." He states matter-of-factly.

"Ry, I'm just not ready for sex. I love you but I'm not ready." I don't want to lose him, but I won't budge.

"I thought of that. That's why I brought these." He pulls out a portable DVD player and a CD case. After expertly connecting the video device to the television in the room, he tosses the case to me. I open it and find such titles as, _He don't do Windows _and _My Big Studly Greek Gangbang_. I smile and throw him a disc entitled, _Hot and Hung Summer_. He starts to play it and lies next to me on the bed.

He gives me a simple kiss and proceeds to make himself comfortable. "It's not sex because it's you over there and me over here. We just happen to be watching the same movie at the same time."

I cannot control myself any longer. "Okay Ry. Another deal." His interest is piqued. "This is a one-time thing. We aren't going to be sex-crazed teenagers. This just happens to be something we did while we were just friends. Our relationship starts fresh tomorrow. I won't give myself up when we've gone out for only one day."

He turns to me, places a hand on my cheek, and says, "As long as you're with me, I don't need sex. We are plenty intimate without sex. But, I want to show you how much I love you. This experience, this one today, is just that. We never have to do this again… until you want to, that is."

I kiss his as animalistic as I can and suddenly, he's running his mouth along my length. We spent the entire afternoon in that bed. When we were both finally finished, he looks at me and just smiles. I smile back and soon we drift to slumber.


	15. Chap 14: Requiem

**AN: **_I'm so sorry that it's been forever guys. I appreciate the reviews, but I was wanting to not do what I'm about to do. I promise, it __**is**__ necessary._

I finally lift my gaze. I cannot see anything due to the tears welling in my eyes. Ryan's leaning on my right arm comfortingly while Sharpay holds my left hand between us. I still can't believe that she flew in from Paris to be here. But then again, my life has been full of surprises lately.

After taking Ry home last Sunday afternoon, I laid in bed with him to take a nap. When I woke up, I wish I had still been dreaming; instead of living out my worst nightmare.

**FLASHBACK**

"_Hello?" I answer into my phone groggily._

"_Dude, Troy! Thank God you're okay! Where are you?!" Chad half yells into the receiver on the other end._

"_I'm at Ryan's. What do you mean, 'thank God you're okay'?" I respond, still not fully awake._

_Ryan sits up a bit and kisses the fingers on my free hand. "Who is it?" he whines._

_I whisper in reply, "Chad."._

"_Dude, Troy. I can't even say it out loud. You have to get home right now." Chad's voice is stern with a tone of urgency._

"_Okay. Let me clean up a bit and I'll be right over."_

"_No dude. Get here NOW." He states plainly before disconnecting the call._

_I quickly put my shoes and socks back on and start to stand up when Ryan's hand grabs me lovingly._

"_Can't it wait like, 20 minutes?" Ryan pleads._

"_No babe. I think something's wrong with my folks." I say as gently as possible. His grin falters into an accepting visage. "Come with me?" I ask. He doesn't even think twice about it. He jumps out of the bed and throws on his trusty flip-flops. He's already half way out the door._

"_Are you coming or not?" He jokes at my surprised expression._

HSM – SY HSM – SY HSM – SY

_We arrive at my house within five minutes. Wait, let me correct myself. We arrive at what was once my house; it's currently a pile of smoldering rubble._

"_What happened?" I asked the first cop I could find._

_Officer Hessel, to whom I would be formally introduced later, looked at me and scoffed. "I don't have time to answer a nosey teenager's question. Why don't you just go home and wait for the newscast like everyone else." I knew that he was disoriented while trying to watch everything that was going on but his tone was far from kind. It didn't even sound like he was stressed out. It was condescending and full of mockery._

_What is the natural instinct when faced with sudden stress? Fight or flight. He just severed my last nerve and that's why my right hook landed him on the ground. That's also why I had two dozen officers wrestling me to the ground as well._

_One finally gets me cuffed and lifts me from the dog pile. He shoves me towards a cruiser and states, "What's your name kid?"_

_By now I'm completely exhausted and I still have no idea what has happened. I take a deep breath and say, "Troy Bolton. This is my house. All I want to know is what happened." The tears are starting to flow freely and Officer Morel wrapped me into a huge bear hug._

_Once I'm calmed, He asks me what took place between Hessel and me. I told him and he answered with a left cross to the offending policeman's jaw. I'm released from the cuffs and walk to Ryan and an injured Chad._

"_Will somebody __**please **__tell me what's going on?" I inquired. Chad took a breath; winced at the pain that it obviously caused, and told me._

"_Your dad brought me inside so I could grab that CD I let you borrow. You know, my Corbin Bleu album." I nodded acquiescence. "We walked into the kitchen and turned on the light and the next thing I knew, I was thrown against the wall and the house started to crumble around me."_

_My mouth fell agape in shock. "That's when I lost consciousness." He concluded._

**END FLASHBACK**

I couldn't sleep for three nights. Thank God that Ry let me stay at his place instead of moving in with my Aunt Paige and Uncle Henry in Denver. I don't know what I'd do without him.

_Just great!!_ Now, Fr Carter is going to talk about how saintly my folks were. He's never even met them! He's only giving them a Catholic funeral as a favor to Gabriella and her mom.

**FLASHBACK**

_I step into the morgue with Ryan holding my hand as tightly as possible. "I know this must be difficult, son. But I need you to identify the corpses." Dr. Topolski states. I nod numbly as I look upon the charred remains of my mother. I agree that it is in fact her, avoiding the expulsion of bile that's rising in my throat. We then move to my father and I can see that every bone in his body was crushed. He no longer had a shape. He was just a puddle on a bed. I ran out of the room with Ryan in tow. This will definitely go down as the hardest day of my life._

HSM – SY HSM – SY HSM – SY

"_I'm so sorry for your loss, Troy. I went to school with your parents. Though we weren't the closest of friends, we did travel in the same circles. I want you to know that I grieve with you." She gave me a hug into which I melted. After pulling me away, she allowed Ryan to hold me from behind and looked us both in the eyes._

"_Do you want to know what happened?" I nodded. "I told your mom that I found notes from my husband proclaiming his love for your father. I wanted to warn her in hopes that we could stop them before anything happened." Suddenly, my mouth went dry._

_My voice started to sound without my conscious control. "They were arguing over the phone while Dad and I were on the bus with the team. He kept saying things like, 'don't you know me better than that', 'honestly are you that stupid', and 'could you really blame me you—'" At that moment I started to sob. "'—you frigid harpy'!" I couldn't control myself any longer. I collapsed onto the sterile tile and cried so hard that I vomited; just like when Ryan broke my heart._

_Dr. Topolski squatted next to me and hugged my back maternally. She also held Ryans hand and I could see hers squeeze his comfortingly._

"_The charred marks on your mother's face show us that she was very close to the heat source. I ran a toxicology report and diagnosed that the actual cause of death is carbon monoxide inhalation." She took a deep breath to calm herself._

"_You mean she was burned alive?" Ryan asked._

"_No. She stuck her head in the oven. She was dead before your father found her. Your dad as well did not suffer at all. When he was knocked against the kitchen wall during the explosion, he hit the corner of the china hutch and one of the decorative fell landing at the base of his skull. The puncture wound severed the brain stem and even though he was alive for another five minutes, he was paralyzed and felt no pain."_

_I set up onto my haunches and she wrapped me again in her arms. I could feel her kissing my forehead in a soothing manner._

**END FLASHBACK**

I look up one last time to see the matching coffins being lowered into the ground. All of my cousins are throwing clumps of dirt onto the graves and Ryan stands like he said he would. I fully shift my weight into Sharpay's embrace as both Mr and Mrs Evans place a comforting had on my shoulders. Then came the final nail to seal my heart forever. My angel and his melodic tones…

"_Oh Danny Boy! The pipes, the pipes are callin'  
from glen to glen and down the mountainside!"_


	16. Chap 15: At Long Last

Sorry Guys! I know it's been forever since I've updated, but I was hoping to keep the story rolling in real-time. I hope you enjoy!

It's January 10th, and I just woke in a room that is still foreign to me. I ascend the stairs and suddenly I feel a wave of stress as I open the door. I look inside to find my new guardian, Aunt Piper sipping coffee with her sisters, Aunts Phoebe and Paige. At that moment, I fall forward, hitting my head on the island under the weight of the emotional onslaught.

As I come to, I hear Piper say, "Well, it might make sense. Lucy said that Trev has displayed telepathic tendencies, maybe Troy is too." Wait… what does the cousin I've never met have to do with me loosing consciousness?

"Sweetie, you know that's not how it works. Don't you realize? The three of us have synched up since Coop, the girls, and I moved next door. Troy must be empathic. It _is _that time of the month." Phoebe was starting to freak me out, but I still don't have the strength to open my eyes.

"Oh my! Thank God none of us are pregnant!" That's Paige for you, huh?

"Or having sex. Good God in Heaven! We could've _killed _the poor boy!" Leave it to Piper to turn marital abstinence into a form of first aid.

"Okay, enough!" I respond my eyes still only half lidded. "Everybody, I need to know what in the hell is going on, and NOW!"

So, the girls lead me into the living room and explain that I'm a witch and that my mother had blocked not only my powers, but my cousin Trevor's as well and that her death has nullified any protection. Now I understand why I had to go into the Witness Protection Program. This is why I cannot contact anyone from my old life.

Suddenly the phone rings and Wyatt appears in front of it in a swirl of blue and white fireworks. Needless to say, I fainted.

After being revived, Piper remarks, "Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention that the three of us, along with our children are witches as well. That's why your folks left you in my protection." Her sisters were laughing in hysterics, so I relaxed and let out a chuckle as well.

We were so rudely interrupted by the doorbell. I know the drill by now. I'm supposed to be in Europe at boarding school. Nobody but the family can know that I'm actually here. I start for the stairs but Chris meets me at the landing.

"I've got an idea. You have to promise not to say a single word. Do you promise?" A fervent nod let him know that I agree. "'Kay. _Let the object of objection become but a dream as I cause the scene to be unseen._" I felt a tingle and looked at a mirror. All I saw was the wall behind me. _SWEET_! Chris just made me invisible! I run into the foyer to see a horrible sight at the door. It was Sharpay.

"I don't care. I want to know where he is so I can kick his ass!" Always the actress, she said the most heinous words that she's uttered in her life with such a thick layer of sugar that it takes Piper a moment to decipher the message.

"He's unavailable, young lady. There's nothing I can do about it." My guardian states with such diplomacy that she could win over the UN.

I run to her and whisper, "It's okay, call me from upstairs. I'll tell her that I'm on break." The next thing I know, I'm at Chris' bedroom door screaming for him. "Fix me now."

"Sure thing dude. _Let the object of objection be returned so that his existence can be reaffirmed._" Before even checking, I'm running to the stairs to see Shar.

"What's up?" I ask once we're alone.

"He's kept trying to get a hold of you. Nobody will tell him anything. Finally, someone mentioned something to the effect of, 'maybe he doesn't want to be found.'" She starts calmly.

"That's insane. If I had any choice in _any_ of this, I would've stayed with him. I wouldn't have even come to San Francisco." I reply.

"I know that. On some level he knows that too. But that didn't stop him from downing an entire bottle of Valium. He's been in the hospital for a week and the doctors want him in an asylum for a while." At this point a stray tear escapes. I'm so in shock that I can't even console her. Plus, I don't think the 'I know how you feel' approach is going to work, it's still too new of a sensation.

"Let me go and see him. I need to talk to him." I plead with Piper after I compose myself.

"Fine, but Chris and Wyatt are going too. Wyatt has a force-field that can protect you and Chris can get you out of there if anything goes awry." I agree. "This is only to say 'goodbye'. You need to tell him that you love him and that that'll never change, but if it's too dangerous for all parties involved to keep contact at this point." I still agree. I'm crestfallen, but I agree nonetheless.

So, Sharpay, Wyatt, Chris, and I are piling into her convertible and Wy's Hummer, respectively. It's going to be a long drive back to New Mexico. I just hope that Ry'll hold on for me.

Well, whadda y'all think? I'm seriously hoping to update tomorrow, but no promises. Dominus Vobiscum!


	17. Chap 16: Tryan in a bed Together!

I run down the corridor, the thoughts of holding Ryan again, even if it's only a shell of his former self, give me the energy to continue

I run down the corridor, the thoughts of holding Ryan again, even if it's only a shell of his former self, give me the energy to continue. Sharpay is right on my heels, directing me through the labyrinth of hallways. We suddenly appear in front of Ryan's door and I see Eddie just outside.

"Well, the prodigal son returns!" His greeting is warm and joyful, even though his face shows the effects of at least one overnight vigil for his bedridden compatriot. I smile and return the bear hug that he offers and I feel him melt a little in my arms.

"I'll see you later, Ed. I have to see Ryan now. Is he any better?" Sharpay interrupts our embrace and Eddie steps back to respond.

"Just a little. Nothing substantial, but he's not getting worse, at least." Eddie has lost his smile but only to portray seriousness, his words still dripping with kindness. I cannot believe that I'm feeling as he feels, the sensation is still too new to be comfortable.

Sharpay enters Ryan's room and closes the door behind her. At this point, I see Wyatt and Chris rounding the corner from which I came. They were both winded. "Now that Shar can't hear us, how is he really?" I query.

"Honestly, he's better physically. I don't think that he's going to even try to get better mentally until he sees you, though." I nod to Eddie's words. "Listen, I've been here for 16 hours now, I really need to sleep. Call me is _anything_ happens. Promise?" Again, I nod.

I open the door, but I cannot see Ryan due to the drawn curtain betwixt us. I can barely hear Shar talking to Ryan. "I'm going to school, but I'll be back as soon as drama is over. I love you Ducky." She leans over and kisses his forehead and walks away.

I walk around the curtain only to see him unconscious on the bed. He's so pale and thin, I weep at the sight of him. I hear Shar close the door and make my way to the seat beside his hospital bed. I close my eyes in an attempt to pray, and I fall asleep considering that I drove all night so that Sharpay could be rested for class.

I wake to find the curtain drawn between my chair and the bed. I get up to check on Ryan, only to see a male nurse by the bathroom door. "He's in here." The nurse comments.

"Cool. Don't tell him I'm here." I respond. He smiles knowingly. I here the two of them scuffle to the bed and the curtain is drawn revealing Ryan lying on his side facing me. His eyes are closed, attempting to fall back to sleep. I began to half whisper, "Don't let me wake up. I can hold him in my dreams! I will not leave my dreams!" He opens his eyes and jumps in shock. He sits up, wanting to run into my arms, but I beat him to the punch.

Fifteen minutes later, he's lying on his back and I'm sitting on the bed leaning to his mouth. No words have been said but that's only because our lips and tongues have found better things to do at the moment. I can feel his exhaustion empathically. Completely filled with reluctance, I pull away from him and tell him to rest.

"Not without you, I won't." He's almost defiant. Go figure that I'd agree with my little angel. He scoots to the far side of the bed and I lay with him. We quickly fall into slumber together.

I am woken by Wyatt nudging my shoulder. "Dude, Troy!" After I respond, I notice that Chris is next to him and Ryan is awake as well. "We promised Mom that we'd be home three hours ago. We need to hit the road." I can feel the difficulty within my new foster brothers. They both wanted to let me stay, but it wasn't possible.

"Ry, I have to go. I want to fill you in on everything, but I can't right now." I grab a pen from my pocket as my lover begins to cry. I grab his palm and write a 10 digit number on it. "This is my new cell number, but you can't give it to anybody else." He nods enthusiastically. "I promise that I'll be here when you get discharged. We can talk then." With one final peck, Wyatt, Chris, and I leave.

We went to Wyatt's Hummer and climbed inside. After about ten minutes on the highway, Wyatt turns onto a county road. "Are you ready, Chris?" The brunet nods. "Cool" the elder brother expresses monotonously.

"Troy, I need you to do me a favor." Chris half-asked. "I need you to feel Wy's and my desire to be home right now." I nod, letting him know that I can and do feel it. That's when Chris continues, "I need you to want that more than anything now. Close your eyes and concentrate." I did so, and the next thing I know, were driving on Prescott Street, about a block and a half away from their ancestral manor house.

"Hey, I just thought of something." Wyatt says as we walk up the driveway. "Let me run it by Mom, though." I hate it when he does that, but, whatever, right?? I turn to see Chris close the front door behind us, but he isn't using his hands. I think I'll like being a witch, but if I have to choose, I'll pick Ryan over _any_ power.


	18. 2e Note d'Auteur

Hey everyone! I've decided to abandon this story because I've been forcing the last two chapters. The story's moving in the direction that i want it to, but it's just not as thrilling as when I started. If my muse returns, I may continue. I wouldnm't count on it, but you never know. Thanks for everyone who's been reviewing, I'm sorry that I've disappointed as of late. Thanks again, Phil


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